China, India Need to Talk on OBOR: Russian Envoy

Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev advocated dialogue between India and China to resolve differences over the One Belt One Road project.
Terming OBOR as an “economic venture” from Russia’s perspective, the envoy said, “We will favour China and India coming to some sort of understanding bilaterally for preferred routes, ways and means of communications of connectivity.”

The envoy was speaking at an event to release a report jointly produced by Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and Vivekananda International foundation (VIF) titled ‘70th anniversary of Russia-India Relations: New Horizon of Privileged Partnership’.

The report takes a close look at the ‘privileged strategic partnership’ between India and Russia that seems to be losing its momentum in the wake of changed regional and global dynamics.

“The growing friendship between Russia and China, as well as Moscow’s appreciation of the Belt & Road Initiative and the plans to co-develop the Eurasian Economic Union with the Silk Road Economic Belt, are being watched closely by India. India has reservations about the geopolitical consequences of the Belt & Road Initiative, as it will serve to consolidate China’s power in India’s neighbourhood. India has particular concerns about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as it involves issues of its sovereignty,” says the report.

Hoping for bilateral trade to reach a target of $30 billion by 2025, Kudashev underlined that despite intense competition for India’s arms market, Russia had retained its unique position in terms of supplies and co-production of defence and military equipment while sharing razor-edge defence technologies”.